Sometimes I ask myself if people in the Body of Christ still believe that the God of the Bible is the same today. If we believe He is the same, we believe He never changes, His Word is Yes and Amen, why do we think we can change the terms, definitions and meanings of His Word and He will be "okay" with it.
Many argue that the God of the Old Testament is harsher than the God of the New Testament. Hence, they go on to argue that the Old Testament was the Dispensation of Law, while the New Testament is the Dispensation of Grace. If not for the mercies of God, these proponents would have eliminated the Old Testament from the Bible altogether. For these ones, it is okay to cherry-pick some verses to suit their stance at any given time and to kick the rest of the Scriptures that do not suit their agenda to the kerb! Boy! Heaven is going to be filled with surprises!
Beloved, let's look a bit deeper into the life of Lot. God told Abraham about His decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. But why did God do that? "And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do, Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him and shall bless themselves by him? For I have known (chosen, acknowledged) him [as My own], so that he may teach and command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do what is just and righteous, so that the Lord may bring Abraham what He has promised him" (Genesis 18:17-19, AMPC).
Abraham, knowing that God is righteous, gracious and merciful, asked if He would destroy 50, later 10 righteous people with the wicked. And God answered that if He found 10 righteous people in the cities, for their sake, He would not destroy them. Sadly, the LORD could not find 10 in the cities, hence they were destroyed, but the lives of Lot and his family were spared (unfortunately, while fleeing the city, the wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt).
This same incident was referred to in 2nd Peter: "...and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)" (2 Peter 2:7-8, NIV). Lot could not convince the people he lived with and did business with daily about the waywardness of their lives. This righteous man was righteous all by himself. Since the land was so evil, why did he remain and not come out of it? He could not think of even marrying his daughters to other righteous men from His family as Abraham did for his son. He readily gave his daughters to lawless men who do not believe in the God he claimed to worship.
In contrast, consider the testimony of God concerning Abraham. God was certain that he would not only walk blamelessly before Him, but he would also "command" his children and everyone in his house to keep the way of the LORD. Fathers, your families are in disarray, and children are wayward because you refused to command them to keep the way of the LORD. Today, your excuse is "the children nowadays are stubborn, they only want to do what they want. Let them!" God will ask you! Lot did the same, he could only save himself. Heaven will be a lonely place for many as their families will be wailing in hell!
For those who do not like reading the Old Testament, God warned us: "Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord" (Isaiah 52:11, ESV). Because of people who will not read the Old Testament, God repeated it in the New Testament: "Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you" (2 Corinthians 6:17 ESV). The Bible says "COME OUT OF THEM AND DO NOT TOUCH THE UNCLEAN THINGS" because you carry the vessels of God! Many of us think we are common and can get away with romancing Babylon and her things.
Lot must have felt the same thing! But the consequence was he lost everything, and entered Heaven through fire: "But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15, AMPC). Yes, we will all be tested! The faith you claim to have will be tested! Indeed we have entered the days of testing. But instead of falling off and resigning to our fate like Lot and Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:12-19), we must be determined to pass these tests with flying colours, as Jesus Christ, our example, did.
This same attitude must be in us as it was in Christ Jesus, and even Job attested to it: "But He knows the way that I take [He has concern for it, appreciates, and pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous]" (Job 23:10, AMPC). God has promised us that if we come out and be separated from Babylon and all that it represents: "And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:18, AMPC).
Beloved, it is time to stand up and, like the sons of Issachar, read the times and understand them, to know what to do at each time.
God bless you as you determine to walk with the LORD! Amen!
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